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Anson County planning board grants 2‑foot side‑setback variance at 239 Haven Road
Summary
The Anson County Planning Board approved variance VAR 25‑0004, allowing a two‑foot reduction in the side‑yard setback (from 15 to 13 feet) at 239 Haven Road after finding the five legal criteria were met; written findings will be issued within days.
The Anson County Planning Board on Oct. 9 approved variance VAR 25‑0004, allowing a property at 239 Haven Road to reduce its side‑yard setback from 15 feet to 13 feet so construction can proceed.
Planning staff told the board the application (PIN 638900519196) and survey showed a corner of the house sits about six inches over the required setback. The board conducted the hearing under quasi‑judicial procedures and the chair said a four‑fifths vote (all six members present) was required to grant relief.
Planning Department staff described the site as sandy and under construction and said the applicants contacted the department as soon as the overage was discovered on a foundation survey submitted to the bank. The staff also told the board the packet addresses the five legal criteria for a variance and recommended no additional conditions.
"They reached out to my office immediately, to figure out how to resolve this situation," the Planning Director said during the presentation, noting the department's survey equipment provides about one‑foot accuracy and could have contributed to the discrepancy.
Applicant Walter Crawford Jr., who was sworn in, said the parcel is family land passed through generations and that tracking down heirs across the country would be burdensome. "We're just pretty much asking for that small variance so we can continue building and, you know, join this nice county," Crawford said.
After questions and discussion, the chair moved to approve the variance; the motion was seconded, the board voted verbally in favor with no opposition recorded, and the chair announced the variance approved. Planning staff said written findings of fact and conclusions will be issued in the next few business days.
The board's approval applies to the specific parcel described in VAR 25‑0004 and does not change setback requirements elsewhere in the county. The Planning Director reiterated that quasi‑judicial hearings require evidence showing a property‑specific hardship, not general complaints from neighbors.
